Crossing gate



J. HONOR CROSSING GATE March 15,1927. 1,621,370

Filed Oct. 19, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I BY 1% a WITNESS: ATI'ORNEY March 15,1927. 1, 21,370

J, HONOR CROSSING GATE Filed Oct; 19. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W 6M4, BY 1% 0 AITORNEY WITNESS:

v Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

Units!) st 1 'aoHNI-IoNoR, or soncrnwnsr, rn vnsYLvAnIA, AssIeNon'oronn-HALr T BENNVIE T-' WATZMAN, or sournwnsr, PENNSYLVANIA. g I

cnossnve GATE.

' Application filed October 19, 1923. seia1 No. 669,590.

I'This invention relates to railroad crossing gates, and has particular application to the means [employed for a'utomaticallyclosing the gate "as a train approaches the crossing, andsubsequently opening the gate after the train passes the crossing.

More specifically tated, the invention makes use of an electrically operated motor torining part ot the gate operating means, 7 the motor being included 1n a normally open circuit adaptedto be closed "by the train when the latter occupies a certain block in the trackway which is also included in the circuit, w hereuponjthe motor is actuated to close the gate, the circuit also including another block arranged at the opposite side of the crossing, sothat the motor is actuated a [second time to open the gate after the train passes thecrossing.

'In carrying out the invention, I provide the gate with an image which will'represent either .aLflagman or a policeman, the image being adapted .to besuspended from a gate with'ethe arms extended, and equipped with Y ,25 electric light bulbs for eyes, the, bulbsibeing utomatically'illuminated when the gate is lowered; I

The nature and advantages of the invention willbe better understood when the'tollowing detailed description'is readin connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, com bination and arrangement of parts as claimed. 7 I v In thedrawing forming part of this application, like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the'several views, and wherein: p

Figurel is a side elevation for the'gate '40 showing the latter in a closed position by tu'llli-nes, and invan elevated or opened position by dotted lines. I I I a V Figure 2'is atop plan view, showing the manner in which the bulbs of the image above referred-to are illuminateed'when the gate is lowered; p

Figure?) s a view in elevatlon of the gate operating. means. 7

Figure 4 is a view taken at a right angle to-Figure wolf Figured.

side of 1? igure 7,

ig 5 is a view taken on th r v of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is aview taken on the line 6- 6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a View taken on the line 7-7 Figure 8 is a View looking at the opposite 1* igure 9 is'a sectional'view taken on the line 99 of Figure 4c. I

,i igure l0 18ft diagrammatic View.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A

and 8 represent thesections of the gate, each section being pivotally mounted upon a post 10. Each section includes spaced 5 parallel members 11 which are connected by pickets 12, the latter being pivotally connected with the members 11 to allow the gate sections to be elevated in the manner illustrated by dotted lines inFigure 1. Car- I lied by the gate section A. is animagelg which niay'represent a fiaginan or a'policeman such as shown in this specificinstance; thennage being pivoted upon the section A so "that it can occupy the positions'shown in Figure 1 when the; said section is elevated or lowered. When lowered, the image is arranged at themeeting ends'ot the gate crossing thatj a train is approaching the latter. This image is equipped with electric light bulbs 15, which are used as eyes, and these bulbs are connected in circuit with a switch, the component parts ofwh-ich are carried by the gate section A and its sup-f porting post'l0. In otherwords'the gate section A supports a pair of spaced contacts 16 adapted to engage si-mi'larcontacts 17 supported by the post 10, when the gate is iniits lowered position, thereby closing the circuit to said bulbs, so that the image can be readily seen at night time.

The spaced parallel members 11 of each gate section are fixed to the outer. ends of shafts l8 and 19 respectively'and as shown,

said shatts aremounted for rotation inthe 10g,

adjacent post 10, and these shafts are retated by an electrically operated motor to raise and lower the gate sections. These shafts are equipped with sprockets over which is trained an endless chain 21, so that both shafts are rotated in unison, although the shaft 19 is directly operated by the motor above referred to. It might here be stated, that each gate section is equipped with a motor and an operating mechanism, but as this structure is the same for each gate section, I have only illustrated onegate operating mechanism. The electric motor'is indicated at 22 and includes a worm gear 23 carried by the shaft of the motor, and this gear meshes with a worm gear 24 fixed upon the shaft 25. Carried by one side of this worm gear 24 is an eccentric pin 26 which operates in a slotted link 27,

the lower end of which is connected with a toothed segment 28. As clearly illustrated tinues to make the other half of one revolu-' tion, the movement of the segment 28 is in a reverse direction to elevate the gate section.

The switch which controls the motor is included in a normally open circuit, which also includes the blocks C and D of the trackway, these blocks being arranged at any desired distance at either side of the crossing E as clearlyillustrated in Figure 10. The source of current for this circuit is indicated at 30. The circuit also embodies a switch which includes a movable member in the form of a disk indicated at'31 and loosely mounted upon the shaft 25. This disk when engaging the spaced contacts 32 closes the e'ircuit'to the motor, and in order to break s the circuit atthe proper intervalof time,

the said disk 31 is provided with diametrically opposed notches 33 which normally lie directly opposite the contacts 32. Associated with this disk 31 is a ratchet wheel 34 and'a plate 35 which supports a pivoted pawl 36, the latter engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel as shown in Figure 8. Projecting from the plate 35 which is also loosely mounted upon the shaft 25 is an arm 37 One end of this arm is connected to the adjacent end of a reciprocatory rod 38, the latter being arranged directlyabove and actuated by a solenoid 39 when the latter is energized. The rod is normally spaced from the sole noid, and when attracted by the latter is moves the arm 37 in a direction to cause the pawl 36 to rotate the disk 31. This disk of course moves independently of the shaft upon which it is mounted, and wheninitially operated as just described, it moves into the position shownin Figure 8, wherein it will be noted that the disk is engaging the spaced contacts 32, thereby closing the circuit to the motor 22. When the motor is put in operation the gate operating mechanism operates in the manner above described to lower the gate to an active position. It is of course understood that the solenoid 39 is energized just as soon as the train enters upon either of the blocks C or D of the trackway, depending of course upon the direction in which the train is" moving. Assuming that the train is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 10, the "train would of course first. enter the block C, whereupon the current would flow from the battery or source offenergy 30 through the solenoid 39 to the rails of the block G, passing through the wheels of the train to the other side of the trackway,and thence throughthe wire 40 backto the battery 30. Consequently, the solenoid is energized to control the switch of the motor, and thus close the circuit to the motor, when the train enters on this block C. The block is arranged an appreciable distance. away from the crossing E so ample time will be provided for the closing of the gate before the train reaches the crossing. After the train passes the crossing and. enters upon the block D, the circuit will be again energized to continue the rotation of the shaft 25', and during the rotation of this shaft, the ratchet wheel41 which is fixed on the shaft engages the pawl 43 carried by the other side of the disk 31, and causes the disk to continue to rotate until it makes a complete revolution, at the end of which the notches 33 are positioned to separate the disk from the fixed contacts 32 thereby breaking the circuit to the motor. Of course during this operation, the segment is being oscillated in a direction reverse to that hereinabove described, so as to turn the gate section to its elevated inactive position.

lVhile it is believedthat from the foregoing description, the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I'do not limit myself to what is herein shown I and described, and that such changes may be ment relative to said contacts, said disk 10eing formed with diametrically opposed notches, means initially moving said disk into engagement with the stationary contacts, means forming connection between the stationary contacts and the motor for energizing the same, means forming operative nism and the disk to provide for rotation of the disk until the notches therein are moved opposite the stationary contacts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN HONOR.

connection between the motor driven mecha- 

